Thursday, January 29, 2015

Superb Owl edition

It's almost time for the Big Game, but lawmakers in statehouses across the country might not even know about Deflategate, because they've got a lot more on their plates at the moment than nachos and wings.

  • Super-exclusive club seats: Earlier this week, GOP Missouri House Speaker John Diehl didn't see the problem with holding legislative committee meetings at a country club over a dinner paid for by lobbyists. I mean, they're still technically public, so whatever, haters, let them have their saffron sea bass in peace. 
    • Then one of two "committee meetings" scheduled at the Jefferson City Country Club this week got really public when Progress Missouri livestreamed the whole thing. 
    • After some quality shaming from various media outlets, Speaker Diehl has reversed the call and decreed that all legislative committee meetings must take place at the capitol. 

  • Locker room fight: You'd think Republicans in the Nevada Assembly just lost to the Dolphins. I've previously mentioned the intraparty difficulties of GOP lawmakers in the Silver State, and things are just getting worse. Or better. Perspective! 
MOAR RECALLS YAY
      • Fun fact: 1993 was the last time a recall petition against a member of the legislature was successful. (Petitioners have to gather signatures of 25% of registered voters in a targeted district.)
      • Fun fact OT: The state Republican Party has already filed a campaign finance complaint against one of the PACs involved in the recall efforts. 

  • Speaking of the Dolphins: Here's some Florida fun:
    • When session begins on March 3, two GOP lawmakers will be pushing bills that would force middle and high school students to watch felonious filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza's "America: Imagine the World Without Her," a film in which D'Souza creatively excuses Americans from their responsibility for Native American genocide, slavery, and anything else allegedly bad they've ever done.
      • The legislators behind the proposal claim that students are being taught negative and "erroneous" versions of American history, and D'Souza's film, widely derided as right-wing propaganda, will help counter "these lies."
Save the date! Sen. Alan Hays plans to hold a screening of "America: ITWWH" for his colleagues on February 11. 
    • Another date to save in Florida: March 4, when the state Supreme Court will hear arguments on the constitutionality of the GOP-approved congressional district maps. 
      • Shots are already being fired by both sides; the current skirmish is over whether suggested maps put forward by the plaintiffs (League of Women Voters, et. al.) were drawn by Democratic consultants -- allegedly violating the standards under which the old GOP map was declared unconstitutional last summer. 

  • Team Bigot playbook: Several LGBT advocacy groups in Oklahoma have united to fight a blitz of bills aimed at denying LGBT Oklahomans equal rights, protection from discrimination, the freedom to marry, and even freedom from so-called "conversion therapy." 
    • The starting lineup includes: 
      • An extremely broad bill bearing similarities to Arizona's infamous (and vetoed) "turn away the gays" measure.
      • Two bills that make "turning away the gays" okay as long as you argle bargle religious objections.
      • A bill to protect those who administer so-called "conversion therapy," a practice denounced by the AMA and APA and prohibited by law in California and New Jersey.
      • An almost comically absurd "Preservation of Sovereignty and Marriage Act" that would require any public employee to be fired for granting, recognizing, or enforcing a same-sex marriage license. 
        • The measure proclaims itself "emergency" legislation that must go into effect as soon as it's signed into law "for the preservation of public peace, health, and safety."
      • A bill that would do away with marriage licenses completely just to keep teh gays from getting any. 
    • Oklahoma isn't the only playing field for lawmakers seeking to condone anti-LGBT bigotry. Bills allowing discrimination in the name of God are advancing in Virginia, Georgia, and North Carolina.  

  • Double-dipping: Not okay in Ro-Tel queso, still okay for awkwardly combined holidays: Lawmakers in Arkansas have killed a proposal to separate Robert E. Lee from the observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on the third Monday of January. The Natural State is one of three (Alabama and Mississippi do it, too) that still honor the Confederate general and the civil rights leader simultaneously. 
    • Another bill separating the observances is still kicking around, but it's likely to meet a similar fate. 
"Separate is not equal," protested one devastatingly un-ironic Arkansan at the suggestion that a Lee observance day be created in November.

  • But could they still be Seahawks fans...? Some Republican lawmakers in Washington want the eastern part of the state to secede from Seattle-stan and the surrounding republics. They've introduced legislation to create a "study committee" to evaluate the legal and political processes for breaking off a 51st state.

  • According to Pravda Indiana, the footballs were fine and the Colts won: On Monday, news leaked that Indiana Gov. Mike Pence planned to launch a state news service, which is obviously a great idea if you want to preempt actual reporters from actually reporting on the stuff you're doing. 
    • The taxpayer-funded state-run outlet, called Just IN (GET IT? LOLOLOL), is set to launch in late February. 
    • Leaked documents circulated among state agencies indicated that the service will not only publish press releases from state offices, but will also "break stories" and feature pieces that "range from straightforward news to lighter features, including personality profiles."
      • Shockingly, widespread backlash followed The Indianapolis Star's revelation of Pence's propaganda plot. Now the governor claims he knew nothing about his staff's written plan for Just IN, and it's totally just going to be a bunch of press releases, and everyone should chill out while he finds the one-armed man behind this.
        • Helpfully, this walkback gives everyone a month to forget about the whole episode before Just IN actually launches, probably with a profile of the noble Pence staffer who ends up taking the fall for this media relations debacle.

Also, happy birthday, Mike Gronstal! I hope you enjoy your oatmeal.
Also also, GRONSTAL 2016


The following 43 state legislatures are meeting actively this week: ALASKA, ARIZONA, ARKANSAS, CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, GEORGIA, HAWAII, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KANSAS, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSISSIPPI, MISSOURI, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW MEXICO, NEW YORK, NORTH CAROLINA, NORTH DAKOTA, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA, SOUTH DAKOTA, TENNESSEE, TEXAS, UTAH, VERMONT, VIRGINIA, WASHINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN and WYOMING.
           
Also meeting: DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, PUERTO RICO and UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS.



GROUPS
The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture will hold its Winter Policy Conference February 1-4 at the Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, D.C. 
The National Association of State Energy Officials will hold its Getting to Zero National Forum February 1-3 in Washington, D.C.

COLORADO
The House State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee met January 28 to consider H.B. 1031, which prohibits the use, possession, sale, purchase, transfer or manufacture of powdered alcohol. 
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
The Health and Human Services Committee met January 28 to discuss B21-8, which provides for assessment rates of health carriers by the Health Benefit Exchange Authority. 
FLORIDA
The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission held public hearings January 27-28 regarding proposed amendments to a rule concerning manatee protection in Pinellas County. 
HAWAII
Governor David Ige (D) delivered the State of the State address January 26. 
LOUISIANA
The Department of Natural Resources met January 28 to hear proposed amendments to its carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery rules. 
The Senate Natural Resources Committee will meet January 29 to discuss the Environmental Protection Agency's proposed definition of "Waters of the U.S." 
MARYLAND
The Senate Finance Committee met January 27 to discuss the modification of laws regulating the sale of electronic cigarettes. 
MONTANA
Governor Steve Bullock (D) delivered the State of the State address January 28. 
NEBRASKA
The Committee on Health and Human services met January 28 to hear L.B. 77, which requires a Medicaid state plan amendment for family planning services and state intent relating to appropriations for the Every Woman Matters program. The Committee will also meet January 29 to hear L.B. 148, which provides for medical assistance program coverage for youth formerly in foster care. 
NEW JERSEY
The Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee will meet January 29 to discuss S.B. 2361, which relates to U.S. companies reorganizing overseas and their eligibility to bid on state contracts. 
NORTH CAROLINA
The General Assembly convened for the 2015 legislative session on January 28. 
NORTH DAKOTA
The House Industry, Business and Labor Committee met January 28 to consider H.B. 1428, which relates to the minimum wage for tipped employees. 
UTAH
The Legislature convened for the 2015 general session on January 26. 
Governor Gary Herbert (R) delivered the State of the State address on January 28. 
VIRGINIA
The House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee's Agriculture Subcommittee met January 26 to discuss H.B. 1591, which relates to genetically engineered ingredient labeling. 
WASHINGTON
The House Technology and Economic Development Committee met January 27 to discuss H.B. 1093, which relates to unmanned aerial vehicles. 

WYOMING
The House Revenue Committee met January 26 to discuss H.B. 140, which relates to the malt beverage tax. 


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Thursday, January 15, 2015

The Heroes We Don't Deserve edition

More and more legislatures are convening this week, and lawmakers are already taking heroic (or anti-heroic, depending on your perspective) stands on critical issues. 

...which is not to say that state lawmakers are heroes. They are but men and women, and they certainly have feet of clay. 

  • This guy's feet have their own Claymation special: So you've probably heard about Fightin' Joe Morrissey, the guy who won reelection to the state House seat -- from jail -- that he had just resigned from because he, well, went to jail. 
    • But Joe Morrissey's issues began looooooong before he was arrested for allegedly having sex with a 17-year-old girl. He's been laboring at being notoriously terrible since the 1980s. He's the basically the Hercules of terrible lawyers, complete with the 12 Labors of Being Awful. 
      • Mighty Morrissey's lamentable labors include:
        1. Yelling at judges in 1986 and 1997.
        2. Going to jail for writing a threatening letter to a judge in 1991.
        3. Getting in a fist fight with opposing counsel, also in 1991.
        4. Settling a rape case without the consent of the victim in 1993.
        5. Going to jail for 90 days, followed by three years of probation, for violating a federal court rule prohibiting making public statements about witnesses in 1999.
        6. Violating that three-year probation in 2000 by attempting to lie about his community service hours (Habitat for Humanity!) and lying to his probation officer about trying to lie.
        7. Having his law license suspended for six months in 1993.
        8. Having his law license suspended for three years in 1999.
        9. Losing his Virginia law license entirely in 2003 (he'd already lost his license to practice in federal court in 2001).
        10. Teaching trial advocacy and becoming a valued mentor to over 100 Crown prosecutors in Australia between 2003 and 2006, until the Australians realized he'd been deemed unfit to practice law in his home country.
        11. Returning to the United States, getting elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 2007, getting his Virginia law license back in 2012, brandishing an AK-47 on the House floor in 2013, and generally just being Joe Morrissey.
        12. Getting indicted for allegedly having sex with a minor, taking an Alford plea, going to jail, resigning his House seat, winning reelection to his House seat, attending session under a work-release program accommodated by his 90-day jail sentence, and generally just being Joe Morrissey.
    • The Legendary Journeys of Joe Morrissey aren't over just yet; both Republicans and Democrats want to expel him from the legislature. But even if they do, they'd be silly to expect Morrissey not to run again.  
Joe Morrissey's gonna Joe Morrissey.

  • Clash of the Titans: Last week, I discussed the GOP infighting (with guns!) in the New Hampshire House. But that's not the only place where Republicans are in disarray. 
Quick aside: Also last week, I made a terrible joke about the New Hampshire House GOP squabbles impacting 2016. Turns out it was even less funny than I thought. Pouty former Speaker and current leader of conservative Republican caucus dissenters Bill O'Brien is inviting GOP presidential contenders to court his band of merry rebels. He may or may not be charging candidates up to $50,000 for the privilege.
    • In the Montana House (41 D/59 R), a cadre of moderate Republicans began session by siding with Democrats to pass a rule that will, basically, allow that same cadre to side with Democrats in the future to force certain pieces of legislation to the floor that conservative Republicans may try to bottle up in committee. 
      • What sort of agenda items might conservative GOPers not want to hit the House floor, you wonder? Glad you asked!
    • The new Republican majority in the Washington Senate (24 D/25 R) is also running into some unity issues. 
      • Republicans wanted to elect Sen. Tim Sheldon -- a Democrat who defected two years ago to give effective majority control to the Senate GOP -- president pro tempore. 
      • Democrats, who were understandably not a huge fan of electing Sheldon to anything, rallied behind Republican Sen. Pam Roach, who is something of a wild card -- she's been ejected from her own caucus in the past, and she had the support of public employees unions in her reelection last fall. 
      • Another Republican with a rebellious streak joined the 23 Democrats and Roach to give Sheldon a symbolic middle finger. 
    • The Nevada Assembly's new Republican majority (17 D/25 R) can't seem to sort itself out either. After the November debacle over the racist writings of the former Speaker-designate, new Speaker-to-be John Hambrick has been stuck in a super public fight with Assemblywoman Michele Fiore for weeks over take-backsies of her leadership positions. 

Session is going to be so awesome.

  • Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Chaps: Er, Dr. Chaps, actually. Rep. Gordon Klingenschmitt was elected to the Colorado House (34 D/31 R) last fall, and even though session is under way, he's continuing tape his awesome weekend show: Pray In Jesus [sic] Name News. 
Yeah, that didn't turn out so hot for Dr. Jekyll.
KlingenChaps also wants to protect Coloradans from the scourge of low flow toilets and shower heads, which I have mixed feelings about, tbh.  

  • Half a league, half a league, half a league onward: Insightful Virginian Larry Sabato recently released some fascinating numbers about Democrats' losses in state legislatures. Since the 2008 election cycle, Republicans have picked up 913 state legislative seats nationwide, which seems like a pretty "eye-popping" number -- until you realize that's 913 of the 7,334 total partisan legislators in the country. 
    • So, to put that in a little context, state legislative Dems lost 12.4% of total seats over the past three cycles, which is, of course, not exactly an ideal situation for Democrats. 
    • But when you realize that Democratic governors are down 22% (11 of 50), Democratic U.S. Senators are down 13% (13 of 100), and Democratic U.S. Representatives are down 15.9% (69 of 435) over those 2010, 2012, and 2014 cycles, it doesn't seem like the end of the world. 
Bottom line: Democrats have a lot of ground to make up everywhere, and cost-effective (smaller districts = smaller $) races to elect incredibly powerful (abortion laws, anyone? How about Medicaid expansion? Taxes? Redistricting?) state lawmakers are the best place to start.




The following 35 state legislatures are meeting actively this week: ARIZONA, ARKANSAS, CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KANSAS, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSISSIPPI, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, NORTH CAROLINA, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH DAKOTA, SOUTH CAROLINA, TENNESSEE, TEXAS, VERMONT, VIRGINIA, WASHINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN and WYOMING.
           
Also meeting: DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, PUERTO RICO and UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS.

ALABAMA

The Legislature met January 13 for an organizational session to elect officers, adopt rules of procedure and appoint members to committees.
ARIZONA
Governor Doug Ducey delivered the State of the State address January 12. 
The Legislature convened for the 2015 legislative session January 12. 
ARKANSAS
The General Assembly convened for the 2015 legislative session January 12. 
A special primary election for Senate District 16 was held January 13. 
The inauguration of Governor-elect Asa Hutchinson (R) was held January 13. 
COLORADO
The inauguration of Governor John Hickenlooper (D) was held January 13. 
Governor John Hickenlooper (D) will deliver the State of the State address January 15. 
DELAWARE
The General Assembly convened for the 2015 legislative session January 13. 
GEORGIA
The General Assembly convened for the 2015 legislative session January 12. 
The inauguration of Governor Nathan Deal (R) was held January 12. 
IDAHO
The Legislature convened for the 2015 legislative session January 12. 
Governor Butch Otter (R) delivered the State of the State address January 12. 
ILLINOIS
The General Assembly adjourned the 2014 legislative session January 13 and convened the 2015 legislative session January 14. 
The House of Representatives and the Senate elected the Speaker of the House and the Senate President, respectively, January 14. 
IOWA
The inauguration of Governor Terry Branstad (R) will be held January 16. 
KANSAS
The Legislature convened for the 2015 legislative session January 12. 
The inauguration of Governor Sam Brownback (R) was held January 12. 
Governor Sam Brownback (R) will deliver the State of the State address January 15. 
NEVADA
Governor Brian Sandoval (R) will deliver the State of the State address January 15. 
NEW HAMPSHIRE
The House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee will meet January 15 for a public hearing regarding H.B. 114 and H.B. 122, both relating to state liquor statutes. 
NEW YORK
The Assembly Health Committee met January 13 to hold the last of six hearings on A.B. 5389 and S.B. 2078, the New York Health bills; discuss the effects and costs of the current health coverage system on patients, health care providers, employers, labor, taxpayers and health and healthcare; and review how the single-payer system would work in the state. 
NORTH CAROLINA
The General Assembly convened for the 2015 legislative session January 14. 
The General Assembly held leadership elections for both chambers January 14. 
NORTH DAKOTA
The House Transportation Committee will meet January 16 to discuss H.B. 1065, relating to autonomous vehicles. 
OHIO
The inauguration of Governor John Kasich (R) was held January 12.        
OKLAHOMA
The inauguration of Governor Mary Fallin (R) was held January 12. 
The Department of Environmental Quality will meet January 13 for a public hearing regarding proposed rules relating to Tier 1 underground injection control permits and applications.         
OREGON
The inauguration of Governor John Kitzhaber (D) was held January 12. 
PUERTO RICO
The Legislative Assembly convened for the 2015 legislative session January 12. 
SOUTH CAROLINA
The Legislature convened for the 2015 legislative session January 13. 
SOUTH DAKOTA
The Legislature convened for the 2015 legislative session January 13. 
Governor Dennis Daugaard (R) delivered the State of the State address January 13. 
TENNESSEE
The Legislature convened for the 2015 legislative session January 13. 
The inauguration of Governor Bill Haslam (R) was held January 14. 
TEXAS
The Legislature convened for the 2015 legislative session January 13. 
A special election for House District 13 was held January 13.
UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS
The Legislature convened for the 2015 legislative session January 12. 
VERMONT
The House Committee on Health Care met January 13 to discuss Vermont Health Connect and hold a discussion regarding health care reform. 
The Senate Health and Welfare Committee met January 13 to discuss Act 48, an act relating to a universal and unified health system. 
VIRGINIA
A special election for House District 74 was held January 13 (lol). 
The General Assembly convened for the 2015 legislative session January 14. 
WASHINGTON
The Legislature convened for the 2015 legislative session January 12. 
The House Environment Committee will meet January 15 to hear H.B. 1049, relating to cadmium in Children's Jewelry. 
WEST VIRGINIA
Governor Earl Ray Tomblin (D) delivered the State of the State address January 14. 
WISCONSIN
The Assembly Education Committee met January 14 to hear testimony regarding A.B. 1, relating to the establishment of charter schools and the review of public school efficiency. 
WYOMING
The Legislature convened for the 2015 legislative session January 13. 
Governor Matt Mead (R) delivered the State of the State address January 14. 

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Thursday, January 8, 2015

Auld Lang Sine Die edition

New year, new action. A whole slew of state legislatures are already in session, with even more to join them shortly. Some will adjourn in just a few weeks, some in a few months, and some will just keep going until we're stocking up on bubbly for next year's New Years festivities. 

The 11 newly GOP-controlled legislative chambers are just brimming with new Republican members and their Republican New Year's resolutions. Five legislatures with flipped chambers are currently in session, so let's see if they're sticking to their diets.

  • Shoot Free or Die. And Die. Whatever. The new Republican majority in the New Hampshire state House is already falling back into old habits. After taking control of the chamber in 2010, the GOP lifted the ban on concealed weapons in the statehouse, and the new Democratic majority reinstated ban in the House when it flipped in 2012. Re-lifting the ban was among the GOP's very first agenda items, because they've all resolved to increase their things shot tally this year, or something.
    • Actually, with all the hostility within the House GOP, maybe it really would be best for everybody if we all left our guns at home, hm? Yeah, the Republicans' new majority in the 400-seat chamber is already kind of a fractured disaster. 
      • Our story so far: Rep. Bill O'Brien, the Republicans' most recent Speaker, lost his chance to regain his old job when a few dozen of his brethren sided with Democrats to elect Rep. Shawn Jasper, a GOP lawmaker generally regarded as less divisive and more pragmatic than O'Brien.
      • O'Brien's super mature and statesman-esque response? Taking his toys and going home. Or to another office for another GOP caucus that plays by his rules. O'Brien and about 100 of his supporters plan to open a separate office down the street and hold separate caucus meetings and totally be way cooler than that Jasper dweeb.
Seriously, everybody really ought to leave shooty and pointy things out of the mix for a little while.

But what does this mean for 20... I'll show myself out. 

  • 2015 resolutions are for losers: In Minnesota, the 2016 fight for control of the state House and Senate is well under way. A new conservative group (Minnesota Action Network, headed by former U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman) is already targeting suburban Democratic legislators with direct mail campaigns as the GOP tries to shore up its fresh House majority in anticipation of a higher-turnout election next year. 

  • All that extra lead will make losing holiday weight tough: Republicans in Colorado have already introduced a bill repealing the state's ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines, which may pass the newly-minted GOP state Senate but could face a bleak future in the House (Democrats control it by three seats). 

  • Taking a little more me time: The new outright GOP majority in the New York state Senate (and the still-Democratic Assembly) is in low gear until Gov. Cuomo's State of the State address, which usually kicks off session but was postponed until Jan. 21 because of the death of the governor's father. 

  • Maine goals: Newly-reelected Gov. Paul "thank you Eliot Cutler" LePage has laid out two of his top priorities for state lawmakers: gutting the state's income tax and slashing welfare for needy families any and every way he can. The measures may survive the newly GOP-controlled state Senate, but the Democratic majority in the House make these proposals long shots, at best. 

Other hopes and dreams for the new year:

  • Learn a new language, or turn a pizza into awesome: New Mexico's new GOP House majority won't have a chance to flex its muscle until session convenes on January 20, but there's already plenty of chatter about so-called "right to work" legislation and measures aimed at raising the minimum wage. So here are a couple of coming attractions you may not have heard about yet.
    • But won't somebody please think of the children? One lawmaker wants high schoolers to be able to count a computer programming language class as satisfying the "language other than English" requirement. Like French or Arabic, but without all that "communicating with other human beings and understanding other cultures" crap.
    • Another lawmaker wants to establish an official state children's song. 
[[Ahem.]]
How can you turn pizza into awesome?
How can you make macaroni sing?
How can you make your hamburger blossom?
The secret is to add just one more thing...
(chorus)
Green chile! Green chile!
Everything is better with green chile.
...et cetera.

If my macaroni starts to sing, I'm leaving. And probably checking into rehab.


  • Keeping your priorities straight: College football is sacred in Alabama (and yes, in other parts of the South, too -- stop yelling, southerners). So, obviously, the University of Alabama at Birmingham caused a major uproar when it cancelled the school's football program late last year. One state representative plans to fix everything by introducing legislation requiring UAB to bring back the Blazers. 
    • Fun fact! This wouldn't be the first time the Alabama legislature has gotten involved in college football. In 1948, lawmakers threatened to withhold school funding if Alabama and Auburn refused to play each other in the Iron Bowl.
This shocks no one who's attended an SEC school. (Go Hogs!)


  • Somebody should have had himself a Dryuary: Kentucky GOP state Sen. Brandon Smith hit that session-opener reception a little too hard, and then he rocketed home at 20 mph over the speed limit. Oops. 
    • Smith, who was arrested and charged with a DUI, is generally a foe of legislation benefiting the alcohol industry. In case you were wondering. Which you probably weren't.
Bourbon's revenge!


  • If this guy resolved to be less of a bigoted douche... try again next year? An Oklahoma lawmaker claimed earlier today that the Council on American-Islam Relations is "'the same as Hamas -- period'" and called on the state chapter to "condemn" certain sections of the Quran that he claims "'make[] it obligatory to commit violence against non-Muslims.'" CAIR-OK executive director Adam Soltani pointed out that the passages were taken out of context and compared the GOP representative's interpretation of the verses to "those who used Bible verses to justify slavery."
    • Fun fact! This is the same lawmaker who called Islam "a cancer in our nation that needs to be cut out" last fall.
      • While we're crapping all over holy texts, maybe someone should ask this dude to condemn those rather genocidal sections of Deuteronomy. And all that stoning 'putting to death' in Leviticus 20, too, just for kicks.

I've resolved to end all of my missives on shiny, happy notes this year. And to avoid cheap puns in my titles.





The following 21 state legislatures are actively meeting this week: CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MASSACHUSETTS, MINNESOTA, MISSISSIPPI, MISSOURI, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW YORK, NORTH DAKOTA, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, and WISCONSIN.

Also meeting: DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

GROUPS
 
The National Conference of State Legislatures will hold its Executive Committee and LSCC January 8-10 at the Intercontinental New Orleans in New Orleans, Louisiana. 

The Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies will hold its Winter Meeting January 8-11 in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

CALIFORNIA

The Legislature convened for the 2015 legislative session January 5. 
COLORADO
The General Assembly convened for the 2015 legislative session January 7. 
CONNECTICUT
The Task Force on Cadmium in Children's Jewelry met January 5 to determine legislative recommendations for the 2015 legislative session. 
Governor Dannel P. Malloy (D) gave his State of the State address January 7. 
The General Assembly convened for the 2015 legislative session January 7. 
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
The Council convened for the 2015 legislative session January 7. 
ILLINOIS
The Pollution Control Board will meet January 8 for a hearing regarding proposed amendments to air quality regulations. 
IOWA
John Bunsta (D) lost to John Kooiker (R) in the January 6 special election for House District 4.  
KENTUCKY
Governor Steve Beshear (D) gave his State of the Commonwealth address January 7. 
MASSACHUSETTS
The General Court adjourned January 6 before reconvening for the 2015 legislative session January 7. 
MINNESOTA
The Legislature convened for the 2015 legislative session January 6. 
MISSISSIPPI
The Legislature convened for the 2015 legislative session January 6. 
MISSOURI
The General Assembly convened for the 2015 legislative session January 7. 
MONTANA
The Legislature convened for the 2015 legislative session January 5. 
The House Business and Labor Committee will meet January 8 to consider H.B. 78, which clarifies a vehicle owner's privacy rights for event data recorders. 
NEBRASKA
The Legislature convened for the 2015 legislative session January 7. 
Governor-elect Pete Ricketts (R) will be sworn in as Governor January 8. 
NEW HAMPSHIRE
The General Court conveneed for the 2015 legislative session January 7. 
NEW YORK
The Legislature is will convene for the 2015 legislative session January 7. Meghan Pudeler at mlp@stateside.com
Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) delivered the State of the State address January 7. 
NORTH DAKOTA
The Legislature convened for the 2015 legislative session January 6. 
Governor Jack Dalrymple (R) presented the State of the State address January 6. 
OHIO
The General Assembly convened for the 2015 legislative session January 5. 
PENNSYLVANIA
The General Assembly convened for the 2015 legislative session January 6. 
RHODE ISLAND
The General Assembly convened for the 2015 legislative session January 6. 
SOUTH CAROLINA
The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Senate Bill 1met January 7 to discuss the 2015 Ethics Reform Act, making changes to the state ethics code for public officials. 
SOUTH DAKOTA
Governor Dennis Daugaard (R) will be sworn into his second term January 10.
VERMONT
The Health Reform Oversight Committee met January 6 to receive an update on the health care exchange, the health care exchange website, operational costs of the exchange and to discuss the All Payer Waiver. 
The Legislature convened for the 2015 legislative session January 7. 
The House and Senate voted to select the Governor by a secret-ballot vote during a joint session January 7, as neither gubernatorial candidate received more than 50% of the vote during the 2014 election. 
VIRGINIA
A special election took place January 6 to fill vacancies in House District 63 and House District 34. 
WISCONSIN
The Legislature convened for the 2015 legislative session January 5. 
WYOMING
Governor Matt Mead's (R) inauguration was held January 5.


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